11/11/2024

All hands on deck! A High School Perspective on Academic Integrity

Written by Zsa Zsa Dolley

As the 2024 winner of the International Day of Action for Academic Integrity Best Overall Entry in the Social Media Post Student Contest, I am sharing my design process and perspective on the importance of academic integrity. With the rise of so many new ways to be disingenuous, thanks to advances in technology, we need to prioritize teaching ethical behavior more than ever. Students’ success in maintaining academic integrity relies on spreading awareness, and the more “hands on deck” in this effort, the better.

Social Media Post Design

In making this social media post, I aimed to summarize the most prominent objectives of academic integrity in a readable and visually appealing way. ICAI’s nautical theme this year inspired me to associate staying above water with being academically integrous. I experimented with crafting sea-related analogies for the objectives and then turned them into eye-catching imagery on the graphic design platform Canva. I felt symbolizing concepts of academic integrity as physical experiences would help viewers understand the material better while also allowing for a fun game of finding the images that match the wording. I wanted to represent the meaningful points of upholding academic integrity in an entertaining way.

High School Perspective

Academic integrity is strongly emphasized at the college level as students prepare for the workforce. Yet, as a high school student, I see just how important it is to reinforce academic integrity earlier in a student’s education to build the foundation for adulthood, especially if a college education is not pursued. And, since high school is a lower pressure environment than college, if given the right resources, students are much more likely to take accountability for or “own up” to their mistakes and ask for help. Providing time for students to learn, and sometimes fail, is crucial before entering higher levels of education or the workforce where dishonesty can result in major consequences. The fundamentals of integrity are essential for students to know so that even under pressure, we understand the significance of an academic violation and do not resort to dishonorable means. 

We need to be taught the tools of integrity throughout our education in order to form habits and build a strong foundation for making ethical choices. Suppose high school teachers let students get away with cheating, for example, using AI to generate an answer that hasn’t been properly sourced or plagiarizes others’ work. Students will then go into the world with the established habit of using dishonesty as a shortcut in academia. Some students can even stumble across ethical lines in violation of academic integrity accidentally and unintentionally. There’s nuance that needs to be clarified, which is why I used the term “sneaky plagiarism,” as I found that particular concept to be easily misunderstood.

It is vital for educators to continue to learn new strategies for maintaining high standards of integrity while using new technologies in order to combat violations and correct students appropriately. My own high school teachers have done a wonderful job teaching students how to correctly cite sources and be fully genuine with written work. My teachers enforce these standards strictly so that when it comes time to be undergraduates or out in the workforce, we will remember and understand the rules of academic integrity. My education in academic integrity will be crucial to my success later in life, and I will thrive knowing that I can achieve great things without resorting to deceit. Communities working together to uphold integrity give students the boats they need to float above academic dishonesty. We truly need “all hands on deck”!

Call me a dreamer, but I am hopeful people can “go beyond” and use the ICAI’s fundamental values of academic integrity—honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility and courage—not just in academic settings, but in all areas of life.

The author's views are their own.

Thank you for being a member of ICAI. Not a member of ICAI yet? Check out the benefits of membership and consider joining us by visiting our membership page. Be part of something great!